


Like Gryffindor, Like Slytherin

by eleanor_123_m



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alcohol, Auror Harry Potter, Dancing, Gay Bar, House characteristics reversed, M/M, Past Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley, Polyjuice Potion
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-02
Updated: 2020-10-04
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:07:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,502
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26253871
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eleanor_123_m/pseuds/eleanor_123_m
Summary: Angry, lost, confused, Harry really needed to get everything off his mind. Merlin interpreted that however as sending him to the gay bar where he was most certain to find a Mr Draco Malfoy.
Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter
Comments: 10
Kudos: 20





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello readers,
> 
> Thank you to those who clicked on this. This is my first fan-fiction and I am still finding my feet in this world and fandom :)
> 
> I have always thought of writing fan-fiction and recently I decided, why the hell not! This is just for fun and a cure for my boredom. 
> 
> I had this idea for a fan-fic where Harry has recently discovered his sexuality and stumbles into a gay bar where he suddenly feels a bit more comfortable and feels like he knows what he is doing. But then Draco is there and of course, the sexual tension is through the roof! Also, the tag "House characteristics reversed" is another idea of mine where the bar Harry stumbles in is referred to as "Draco's bar" as he is very popular there. I thought of it as a lion's den. And a snake (Harry) has entered. Anybody get it! Yes... no... alright :0
> 
> That description may have been a bit much or confusing but I swear that it will be cleared up in upcoming chapters.
> 
> Kudos and comments are very welcome and any questions, feedback or anything like that would be much appreciated (especially how to work this account).
> 
> Thanks guys, enjoy reading
> 
> Elle
> 
> (No copyright is intended)

Confusion. Confusion, anger, sadness is what Harry felt as he stumbled out onto the Muggle streets of London. It was night, the darkness was welcoming. The sounds of oncoming traffic could be heard but only slightly over the heavy beating of Harry's rapid heart. Tears had threatened to spill from his eyes but he blinked them away. Harry's feet quickly moved him away from the apartment building, his and Ginny's apartment building. 

They had just broken up. With the realisation and dawn of his new sexuality, Harry couldn't remain in his current relationship for any longer. It would be a burden for him and unfair for Ginny. Luckily, she was thinking the same and they both agreed that they were better off as friends anyway and would leave on good terms. Breaking up with someone, even if they were the wrong person, still stung painfully as if his heart was being attacked by hundreds of bees. 

Harry's feet kept taking him up the Muggle street and into a busier section of London. He had no idea where he was going. He just needed to rid himself of his troubles and let go of everything in his mind. 

Well, that's easier said than done, Harry thought gloomily. 

Alcohol was the most obvious choice, even though it was a Tuesday and he had work at the Ministry the next day. Meetings with the other Aurors and paperwork, just thinking about it gave Harry the foundations for a headache. Yes, alcohol will have to do, he just hoped that there were some Hangover potions at Ron and Hermione’s apartment as Harry couldn’t and wouldn’t show his face back at his own place, not after leaving Ginny to cry the evening away as he was now. He would just crash on their sofa, as he has done numerous times before. 

Now, the main question was where. The Wizarding world was still yet to fully accept gay wizards and witches so drinking in the Muggle world was the only option. That did mean no Firewhiskey though so maybe he might be alright for work tomorrow. At this point in time, Harry didn’t care where he drank, as long as there was some strong whiskey and a chair or high stool at the bar where he could drown his worries away.

Harry decided, somehow through his hurricane of emotions, that the first bar that actually sparked some interest in him, he would go and drink. It seemed like hours, just walking, just walking through Muggle London, not really knowing where he was going. 

After walking past what seemed like all the bars south of the Thames, Harry was starting to regret his decision of trying to find a bar that interested him as he was starting to lose the battle with his emotions. Many of the bars he passed that he had passed were probably adequate. They all probably served decent alcohol that could get Harry off his nerves. Maybe this was a really bad decision, Harry thought. Maybe he should have just gone straight to Ron and Hermione’s, Ron probably had a bottle of Firewhiskey on hand, even if while drinking Hermione would give him the evil glare as well as the face of a comforting friend.

It had rained earlier in the day and puddles littered the cobbled street. Harry, not really realising where he was going, abruptly stepped in one, covering his entire right foot in freezing water. 

“Fuck!” Harry shouted. That really wasn’t what he needed at the moment. Nobody was around to hear him anyway.

Shaking his foot to try and remove most of the cold water droplets, he raised his head and something caught his eye. The bar was sneaked away around the corner but definitely appealed to Harry’s needs at this moment in time.

On the outside, there was a bright, luminescent blue sign that shouted out to the rest of the neighbouring area that this was a gay bar. If Harry listened very closely, he could hear the thumping music from outside. Although Harry was still extremely new to his new sexuality and all that came with it, this bar interested him like none of the others did.

At least I will be like everyone else, Harry thought.

Making a final decision, Harry cautiously ventured inside.

~~~~~

The atmosphere was incredible. The music, although loud, suited the situation. The smell of alcohol was strong but not overpowering. At least not enough to give someone a headache. The dance floor was filled with people, not caring what they looked like, hands in the air, jumping to the beat. Like Harry thought, the atmosphere was incredible and care-free. The dancing group did look like a lot of fun however Harry’s mission was to consume as much alcohol until he couldn’t think straight. 

The bar was up ahead and he made his way towards it. At the back, there were rows and rows of bottles of alcohol; whiskey, gin, wine, everything. In the state that Harry was in, he could drink the whole lot. 

Harry sat at the bar on an empty bar stool, looking around at the dance floor, the scenery, feeling quite put out. His vibe must be very noticeable as the barman, after serving a couple, came up behind him.

“First time” the barman said while cleaning a glass. He didn’t sound like he was mocking Harry for being a first timer. The music by now had quieten so there was no need to shout.

Words seemed to have been caught in Harry’s throat. Unable to respond verbally, he settled for a nod.

“I understand mate. Coming in for the first time can be very overwhelming. I’m Jack, by the way” the barman said. He offered his right hand towards him, holding the glass in his other.

Seems friendly enough, Harry considered. But… familiar.

“I’m Harry.” He actually found some words. Harry accepted Jack’s hand quickly and returned to glancing around the bar. The music was starting to pick up slowly again and people, mainly couples, were starting to move to the floor.

“So, what will it be Harry?” Jack said a little louder than before.

“Whiskey. The strongest you have.” Harry replied firmly. He did come here with a mission after all. 

Jack nodded briefly, a sad smile, a look of pity on his face. Apparently, Harry's case wasn’t the first that he’d seen. A few moments later, Jack returned with a rock glass of amber liquid, Harry’s saving grace. Harry paid and grabbed the glass like it was his lifeline. Like reading his face, Jack said sternly,

“Don’t drink too quickly” and he went away, serving other people who had now entered the bar.

Being alone, Harry could gather his messed up and crumpled thoughts together. Although he didn’t intend to, he replayed this evening's events in his head.

Coming home from his Auror work, with a heavy heart, Harry knew what he had to do (not necessarily on his to-do list that he attached to the front of his fridge, but important nonetheless). He had recently found out that he was gay though over the course of time, Harry has wondered if he always knew he was gay but was just to afraid to admit it. Admit it to friends, to Ginny. But he knew that the time in his relationship with Ginny was up and that it needed to end. Walking through the fireplace of their shared apartment after a very long day at work, he startled Ginny as she was sitting on the sofa in front of it. She opened her mouth to say her greetings but Harry quickly rushed to the bedroom to get changed out of his Auror uniform and to ready himself for the onslaught ahead. Changing into his most comfy jeans and a red t-shirt, he slowly walked back to the open plan living area (Harry preferred open spaces so he knew and felt like he wasn’t confined to such a small space, like his childhood cupboard). Ginny was already standing and staring at him, the look on her face will always remain engraved into his brain. It made him feel guilty.

“Harry…” Ginny started but Harry stopped her with a wave of his hand.

“I think it’s best if we sit down for this Ginny. It’s not going to be easy.” Harry admitted, already starting to tear up. He headed to the sofa and sat down. Ginny got the message and sat down beside him. They both stared out into the fireplace, the flames illuminating each other’s faces. Harry took a deep breath before starting.

“Ginny,” Harry spoke, not wanting to look at Ginny’s face otherwise he wouldn’t be able to finish.

“I’m just gonna make this blunt because I don’t want this to be harder than it already is. I think that we should break up” Harry choked around the final words and he heard Ginny gasp slightly.

“This may sound quite abrupt, which it is, I’m not hiding from that fact. But, this relationship is not going to work out. I’m,” he didn’t think that actually saying it out loud would be that much of a big of a deal. “gay.” Silence swept into the room.

Harry could feel large tears forming in his eyes so he closed his eyelids tightly, trying to make the heartbreak go away. Ginny was probably disgusted, he thought. Why would someone keep that big of a secret from their partner. Harry just wanted to curl up into a ball and sob.

To his surprise however, Ginny slowly took his hand in hers and squeezed reassuringly. The tears started to overflow from behind his eyelids.

“Harry, please look at me” Ginny whispered softly. When Harry made no move to turn his head, she took her finger, placed it under his chin and tilted his head gently so they were eye-to-eye. 

“I understand. Really I do. I had… well… we’ve had our suspicions for some time. I agree, breaking up is probably for the best. Not that I want to lose a boyfriend, by any means, but if breaking up gives you the chance to finally find someone you are comfortable and happy with, I want to give you that chance.” Ginny’s voice was wavering, obviously from the tears that had started to drip down her cheeks as well.

“Any guy will be lucky to have you, Harry” and with that, Harry collapsed in her arms in a bunch of wet, cold tears. When he had played this situation in his head, he never thought that he would react so emotionally to it, neither did he think that Ginny would be so supportive. And by the sounds of things, all his friends.

After a few minutes of crying and holding each other in one’s arms, it was all getting too much for Harry. Releasing himself from her grip, Harry needed to get out, get some fresh air as the temperature in the apartment soared. Grabbing his coat off the coat hanger, he made it to the door.

“Where are you going?”

“I need to get out of here. Need some space. I’m so, so sorry Ginny”

The last thing he saw before he closed the door was Ginny put her head in her hands, her shoulders shaking.  
Thinking back, Harry probably shouldn’t have left so suddenly. He should have comforted Ginny as she did briefly for him, wait for her to go to sleep, leave a note on the kitchen island and then go. But with his emotions through the roof, the alcohol was more tempting. Tending to his whiskey, Harry took a large gulp, the burn was smooth going down the throat and left him feeling a little better.

Yep, definitely a better idea than firewhiskey.

Harry looked out onto the crowd of dancers. He was surprised with the idea that they could just be themselves, not having to worry about how others looked at them; in disgust, fear, whatever other emotions that Harry was sure to encounter when he met others. He did feel a little underdressed to be in a place like this. His casual wear of a red t-shirt, blue denims and a black jacket was nothing compared to the bright colours or tight clothing that the other men seemed to wear. Gulping down his whiskey again, he ordered another from Jack and sipped lightly. While drinking, one man’s clothing, well mainly his hair caught Harry’s attention. The man’s back was turned towards Harry. His hair seemed to glow in the fluorescent lights of the bar. It was like a beacon. He was wearing tight, black, leather trousers and accompanying that was a simple yet elegant white button up with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. Harry was trying to imagine what his mysterious man looked like. But, when the man’s left arm turned to show the underside, Harry caught the sight of a hideous mark. To any onlooker, the man just looked like he had a badass tattoo but Harry knew what it really was. A death eater mark.

Oh shit.

And there he was. Draco Malfoy in all his glory, a look of pure bliss on his face. His hair was a little longer at the front than when they were at school and it wasn’t slicked back. He had grown taller and had become more muscled from what Harry could see from sitting down at the bar. He was also dancing quite intimately with a man in front of him.

A strange thought then occurred to Harry. Why was Malfoy, in all his pure-blood glory, dancing to Muggle music, surrounded by Muggles and dancing with a Muggle in a gay bar? His question was soon answered as Malfoy turned his head and found Harry staring. A complete look of surprise, and possibly disgust was placed on his face. But, as quickly as he saw Harry, Malfoy’s well trained smirk made its way onto his lips and he wrapped his arms casually around the shorter man’s neck from behind and lowered his lips to the man’s exposed shoulder.

Harry quickly looked away. He didn’t want to be staring at something that intimate, in the open air just yet. Remember what you came here for. Harry’s whiskey had been forgotten while he was staring at Malfoy on the dance floor. Now, not only did Harry need to drink to forget Ginny and his relationship problems, he also needed to forget Malfoy who was only dancing about 10 metres away. Another big gulp should get him started at least.

The music subsided again with the accompaniment of people clapping and cheering. Harry sensed that someone was walking towards him. He didn’t want to turn around and know exactly who but he had a hunch.

“Surprised to see you here, Potter” the familiar drawl coming from behind. He sounded the exact same from when he last talked to him in the Room of Requirement.

“Malfoy” Harry said back casually, returning to his glass and swallowing another mouthful of whiskey. The burn was much needed if he were to continue in this conversation.

“I do say, you always did do the unexpected.” Malfoy sneered as he leant with his elbows on the counter next to Harry, looking out onto the rest of the bar. 

“What? You didn’t expect a fully grown man to come to a bar in order to drink?” Harry replied questionably

“A gay bar at that. Well, I must say congratulations. Welcome to the club.” Malfoy said sarcastically. Harry could tell that Malfoy was quite drunk, on what, he didn’t know, but he wanted some. He continued drinking.

“How are the Weasel and Mudblood?”

“Don’t call them that!” Harry warned Malfoy, now turning around in his seat to stare up at him. Harry could now see the grey pools that were his eyes, staring back at him. They were captivating, like you could get lost in them for hours.

Wait! Harry, why are you thinking about that? Harry screamed at himself

“Woah, someone’s getting a bit touchy?” Malfoy’s voice was practically dripping with mockery. “How many of those have you had? You should probably stop.” He gestured to the whiskey in Harry’s hand.

“This is only my second.” He downed the rest of the drink, still looking up at Malfoy.

“Like I said, you should probably stop drinking.” His voice dropped dangerously low. “I don’t want to see you, or your stupid scarred face in this place ever again.” 

Well that was sudden.

“What? You…”

“Everything was great in my life, until you showed your bloody face and then everything that followed fucked up. I don’t need you to ruin this up for me when I am actually enjoying myself and in a position where I’m finally happy”

“So, you’re really kicking me out? Merlin, Malfoy! I’d actually believe you if I was a bit drunker, which by the looks of things, you’re not gonna allow me to do. You’re acting like you own the bloody place.” Harry finally turned away to face the bottles of alcohol once more. 

“No. I don’t. But with the amount of people that actually enjoy my company here, and the fact that I am extremely wealthy and powerful, it seems like I do. Everyone who works here knows me and likes me.” Malfoy nodded to someone across the bar and Harry started at his line of eyesight. Jack was pouring tequila shots for a rowdy group down the bar. When he saw Malfoy’s nod, he responded with a simple wave and smile before returning to work. Harry inwardly groaned.

“Draco, let’s go” a voice from behind them made them both turn simultaneously. The shorter man who Malfoy was dancing with previously was staring at them, looking very expectant.

Malfoy winked at the man, making him flush a bright shade of red before returning to Harry.

“Like I said, I don’t want to see you around here again” and with that, Malfoy removed himself from Harry’s presence, took the other man’s outstretched hand and walked towards the exit.

“Who was that guy Draco?”

“Don’t worry about it,” and that was all Harry could make out before the music started belting again.

“Tough time with the big guy?” Jack startled Harry who was now standing in front of him.

“Big guy?” Even the thought of Malfoy being the “big guy” made Harry feel grossed out.

“Yeah. He doesn’t actually own the place, but with the amount of people that like him and the amount of…”

“Of money and power, yeah, yeah.” Harry interrupted him. Malfoy must have told this story to many, not just Harry. But Malfoy’s warning and threat weren’t enough to deter Harry from his goal so he raised his glass to Jack, “Another if you will, please.”

~~~~~

It was probably about 1 in the morning by the time Harry left the gay bar. And his mission complete, he was utterly wasted. It was a surprise that he could make it out of the door without tripping up and falling on his face. Apparating in this state would definitely end very badly and he couldn’t Floo from anywhere. Harry had already planned ahead and during his time at the bar, he had texted Ron to come and pick him up at a certain station which wasn’t far from his current position. All he needed to do was put one foot in front of the other without falling over. 

While stumbling to the station, Harry had already made up his mind that he would return to that particular bar in order to find Malfoy again and find out what he was up to. Nobody had heard of the Malfoy name since the Deatheater trials so they must have shut themselves up and removed their burdens, that being themselves, from the Wizarding ear. So it was an extreme surprise when Harry just suddenly found him again, albeit not intentionally, at a gay bar in the middle of Muggle London. The only way that he would be able to successfully find out what Malfoy was doing nowadays was to go in disguised. The most obvious option was under the cover of polyjuice. Harry could easily pick some up from work as Aurors sometimes used polyjuice potions undercover to get closer to criminals. Yes, that was the plan, to go back to what Jack had dubbed it as “Draco’s bar” and discover who Malfoy now really was.

Harry was carried out of his thoughts when he heard a car horn in the distance and somebody shouting his name. He must have gotten to the station quicker than he thought. He could make out in the distance Ron waving drastically at him, his way to try and get his attention. Harry continued walking towards him, and hopefully some hangover potion.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone,
> 
> Sorry about the delay. It's the start of term and I haven't had much time to write a new chapter but here it is!
> 
> Any mistakes throughout this fanfic are mine.
> 
> Thanks everyone
> 
> Elle x

Harry woke up to the feeling of cool leather underneath him. It was the same leather sofa that he had slept on on numerous occasions, most common being that he was drunk and couldn’t make it home safely. His senses were starting to wake up as he could now smell bacon and eggs wafting through their flat. He could hear the distant traffic outside and Ron and Hermione mumbling to each other. Harry, very slowly, opened his eyes and immediately shut them as the bright light coming from the window was blinding and was starting to increase his headache tenfold which had also woken up. He could now sense someone was kneeling in front of the sofa, trying to get his attention.

“Harry, you up mate? Here, drink this. Will make you feel better.” Ron held a potion bottle in front of him.

Harry groaned as he sat up, his hand immediately going to rub his eyes, the intense pain behind them. He reached out to where Ron was holding the bottle and grabbed it, swallowing the entire contents of the potion in one. The effect was instantaneous and the headache subsided. 

After being pulled upright, Ron felt Harry and most presumably returned to the kitchen. Although the hangover potion did its magic, it didn’t cure Harry’s tiredness even though he must have slept for at least 8 hours. He held his heavy head in his hands and rubbed his eyes continuously, trying to wake himself up. Harry felt the sofa dip next to him.

“Harry, how are you feeling?” Hermione’s soft voice spoke next to him. “You passed out as soon as you got into the car. Ron had to carry you up the stairs.” There was slight amusement in her voice, trying to lighten the situation.

“I don’t know.” was Harry’s response. “Still adjusting.”  
“Ginny floo called us that you two had broken up. And the reason.” Hermione whispered.

“You two, you’re not… um… disgusted?” Harry was already starting to tear up.

“Why would we be?” Ron’s voice could be heard from the kitchen.

“You want me to start at the top of my list of why you should be?!”

“Harry, we would never be disgusted by you. You are still you. Just because it isn’t really accepted in the Wizarding world doesn’t mean that it never will be.” Hermione laid her hand on Harry’s knee.

Harry still couldn’t figure out now he managed to get some of the most caring and supportive friends. He wasn’t special, nobody could deserve better friends than Ron and Hermione.

“Thank you.” Harry choked out before sobbing his eyes out. Hermione’s fast reactions enveloped him in a tight hug so he could cry on her shoulder. Harry heard scuffling on the hardwood floorboards and felt Ron’s arms encircling them both in an even tighter embrace. 

Yes, how did Harry get such supportive friends?

They all stayed like that for several minutes, trying to calm Harry down. Without leaving Harry’s side, Ron levitated the food being cooked onto plates and guided them to the coffee table in front of them. There was the clinking of glasses and the sound of splashing and 3 glasses of orange juice found their way to the table as well. Harry’s sobs subsided into just sniffles and rubbings of his nose. He looked at the platter of bacon, toast, eggs and sausages as well as the orange juice that Ron had put to the table and he suddenly realised how hungry he was. Thinking about it, the day before he didn’t have lunch nor dinner then he went to a bar and drank his little heart out. 

Each gathering the food that they wanted, Harry, Ron and Hermione sat in comfortable silence on the sofa, listening to the noises outside of the open window. The traffic could be heard but too far away for it to annoy the occupants in the flat. Birds chirped their morning song and the rustling of trees could be heard as well. 

Harry was the first to break the silence after putting down his plate next to his half-drunk orange juice.

“How was she, when she called?”

“Obviously upset.” Ron responded with food still in his mouth, “she had just broken up with…” Ron stopped abruptly when he saw that both Harry and Hermione were staring at him, saying “please stop talking or you’ll make this worse”.

Ron swallowed his mouthful.

“But she also wasn’t disgusted, neither did she sound surprised.”

“She will be alright, Harry. Hermione said. “And so will you.”

Harry merely snorted at that. How will he be alright? He had just lost his girlfriend, he is gay, will probably never find love again and be alone forever and the Wizarding World will be nipping at his heels even more than they already are.

But then, remembering what had happened last night, he wasn’t alone.

“I ran into Malfoy last night.” Harry spoke suddenly, string straight ahead at the opposite wall. He then heard Hermione choke on her drink.

“Where?” Ron replied, his tone suddenly turning angry.

“At the gay bar I went to last night.” Harry said quickly.

“Wait, hold on! Malfoy? The Malfoy, was at the gay bar that you were at?”

“Yes, Ron. It's not that difficult to get your head around.” Harry was starting to regret his decision in telling them this.

“That does explain where he has gone.” Hermione said curiously.

“Of course! He probably decided to remove his name from Wizarding mouths because of all the bullshit that followed in his wake!” Harry could tell Ron was getting quite angry from jst hearing the name, Malfoy. In his friendship group, nobody has mentioned the Malfoy name for 5 years. They all wanted to put the war and everything related to that behind them, start on a clean, new slate. So, to suddenly bring the name back up when you’ve just had a breakdown and everyone is in a melancholy mood was probably not the best move.

“Tell us everything, Harry.” Hermione had recovered from her earlier choking and was now actually curious. Ron grumbled, muttered something under this breath about death eaters and left to clear the table of plates and glasses. Once Ron was out of earshot, Harry started talking.

“Well, I went to this particular bar because it interested me from the outside. So I went in, ordered a drink and thought about the recent event.”

“Just tell me about the Malfoy part.”

“Anyway, I was watching the people on the dance floor and saw a guy with really blonde hair. His back was towards me so I didn’t originally realise that it was Malfoy. But as soon as I saw the mark on his arm, I knew it was him. And he was dancing with a man, quite intimately I remember.” Harry blushed slightly. “And his partner was also a Muggle.”

Hermione’s eyes were wide open and she was leaning forward, elbows on her knees and her head resting in her hands, listening intently.

“Go on.”

“Jump forward a couple of minutes, Malfoy came up to me at the bar because he noticed me staring at him on the floor. He talked about how he never wanted to see me in that bar ever again and…”

“Why never again? Does he own the place?” Hermione interrupted.

“No, but because he is there so often and he is rich and powerful, he feels like he does. And all the staff and regulars know him, respect him. It’s really strange.”

“Well at least he’s now got his way of getting Muggles to basically worship him at his feet!” Ron’s voice could be heard from the kitchen.

Hermione shook her head, “I’m sorry about him? And what happened after that?”

“Then he left with the man he was dancing with. The other guy looked quite giddy and very blushed.” Harry grimaced at himself for silently thinking what happened after they left the bar.

Hermione was quiet for a while, processing everything that she had just heard. To Harry, she didn’t look concerned, upset, disgusted or angry, unlike Ron who had now returned to the living room and leaned against the opposite wall facing the sofa. 

“Are you going to go back there” she eventually asked.

“Most likely. I know I don’t like Malfoy or anything,” Harry started before Ron huffed a sound of amused laughter, “but it is strange how he suddenly reappears into my life on the night that I broke up with Ginny and be at the first gay bar I’ve ever been too.”

“So you think he is up to something?” Ron asked, still with a tone of annoyance.

“Not like sixth year, Harry.” Hermione looked at Harry wearily.

“I was right about that!” Harry pointed between the two of them, not wanting to hear about the obsessions about Malfoy in that year. “However, I am just curious. What has he been up to? Has he manipulated everyone at that bar to worship him? Why is he with Muggles and not with some pure-blood witch?”

“I do kinda agree with the manipulation point? Because, come on, it’s Malfoy!” Ron quickly stated when Hermione gave him the warning look.

“I personally don’t think that going back to that bar is going to help anybody.” Hermione said quietly. She really is like a mother isn’t she, Harry thought to himself.

“But I should go back!” Harry got off the sofa and started pacing the space between the sofa and the opposite wall. “I can tell Seamus that I’ve sighted Malfoy and go undercover.”

“Mate, even your Auror partner isn’t going to let you do that.” Ron said sadly.

Harry stopped to stare at both of them.

“All the ministry departments, especially the DMLE, have been curious as to why the Malfoy name has suddenly disappeared from the Wizarding World. We’ve all been waiting for something to pop up and give us clues as to where the hell they are. And now, I finally have that clue!”

Hermione got up from the sofa and walked towards Ron. With Harry glaring at them, they whispered to each other with the occasional outburst of “No, Ron.” and “Give him a break”. Both simultaneously turned to face Harry who suddenly felt very small. Like he was a child about to be told off thoroughly by Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia. 

“Go and talk to Seamus.” was all Hermione said before she left the room.

A burst of excitement coursed through Harry. He hadn’t had this thrill of excitement for a very long time. Recent cases that had come through weren’t very fulfilling and Harry thought that he was wasting his time. But now, he felt that every boring case has led to this one. Only Seamus stood in his way but he would probably say “Sure, go ahead.”

Ron had a pity smile on his face and took a step forward towards Harry.

“Neither of us think that this is a good idea.” Ron placed a hand on Harry’s shoulder, “But if Malfoy just even insults you, I will hex him into next year.”

“Thanks Ron.” Harry returned the clap to the shoulder before heading for the door, grabbing his coat along the way and walked out of the flat.

~~~~~

Being the Saviour and the Chosen One, Harry did have some privileges. Being eye-wateringly late was one of them. By the time he made it to the Ministry, it was already noon and his shift started over 4 hours ago. He also wasn’t in his standard Auror uniform, that was still at his shared flat with Ginny and he couldn’t force himself to go back there just yet.

The atrium was still as busy as ever. Harry still got hushed whispers and the occasional glance and drool over but the magic that the Saviour was constantly at the Ministry had faded away over time and Harry was very thankful for that. Once he reached the lifts, two Auror trainees were already in the lift and they both stared at Harry as he made his way inside.  
“Department of Magical Law Enforcement please.” Harry asked the taller trainee who was standing nearest the buttons. The lift closed its doors and went down and there was silence. Harry could tell there were two pairs of eyes staring into the back of his head but he didn’t really want to get into an awkward conversation with others. 

The doors pinged open with the usual sound of “Welcome to Department of Magical Law Enforcement”. Harry walked quickly towards his shared office with Seamus Finnegan. Ron was originally his Auror partner and they worked really well together but Ron decided to call it quits and help George out with the joke shop that was still very popular. He and Seamus had been Auror partners for nearly 8 months now and although he wasn’t Ron, Seamus still made Harry’s work life enjoyable, especially during the really boring cases.

He finally made it to the office. He opened the door to find Seamus swamped with paperwork that over the piles of it, you could only see the top of his head.

Upon hearing the door, Seamus stood up from his desk and glared at Harry.

“Where the fuck have you been Harry?!” Seamus nearly screamed.

The door was still wide open and many people walking by looked at Harry with concern.

“Shhhh.” Harry shut the door promptly. “I was in a situation…”

“So I am if you really are that blind!” Seamus joked but Harry could see that he was trying to rile it back in.

“What is all this?” Harry pointed at all the paperwork, turning over a few pages on top of Seamus’ pile.

“Stevens and Watford wanted to give us their recent case on the smuggling of illegal potion ingredients in Knockturn because they can’t get anymore leads. I agree but seriously, I didn’t think there would be this much paperwork!” Seamus gestured to his entire desk.

Harry had actually known about his case as the Aurors talked about things such as their cases in the coffee room at break but Harry had a priority case at the moment and illegal potion ingredients aren’t going to deter him.

“Actually, Seamus. I have something to talk to you about.” Harry said confidently.

Seamus looked at him questionably. “Alright, spill.”

“I’ve seen Malfoy. Draco Malfoy.”

Seamus’ eyes seemed to grow, as if Harry had suddenly grown 3 heads.

“What!?” He rounded the desk so he was standing in front of Harry. “Where?”

“At a Muggle gay bar. It was quite weird actually…”

Seamus held up his hand to stop Harry from talking. “Stop. Now, what were you doing at a gay bar?”

Harry gulped nervously. Oh no, he thought, is Seamus going to be disgusted or…

“God, finally!” Seamus laughed.

“Wait, what?”

“It has taken you so long to get your head out of your arse to actually realise that you were! We all had a bet to see how long you’d deny it and then finally accept.”

“We all had a bet?”

“Yeah. Ginny was in on it too.” Seamus laughed even more, doubling over.

“That doesn’t make me feel any better!” Harry shouted, “Anyway, we are getting off topic. I saw Malfoy at a gay bar, dancing with a Muggle and I really need to find out more.”

Seamus returned to sitting in at his desk, still giggling “Why don’t you just go back?”

“That’s the thing. Malfoy told me that I shouldn’t go back to that bar ever again and he will probably be on the lookout for me.” Harry said, a hint of sadness in his voice.

Seamus knew where this was going, “But you want to go back so you…”

“Need some polyjuice potion.” They both said at the same time. 

Seamus rubbed his eyes and thought about it. 

“Well, I’ve already completed quite a lot of the paperwork without you.” Seamus stared at Harry as he reached into his bottom drawer of his desk. He withdrew a large, grey bottle.

“Fine, but if anything goes wrong, I’m not going to support you.” He handed over the polyjuice to Harry who took it eagerly.

“Thanks Seamus.” And made his way to the exit.

“Is that all you came here for?” Seamus shouted as Harry opened the door to the rest of the department.

“Yes, just tell Head Auror Robards that I was ill.” 

And Harry left. With the bottle safely stored in his coat pocket, he headed towards the lifts once more, his devious plan to spy on Malfoy already forming in his head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos and comments are much appreciated


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello readers,
> 
> Here is your chapter for the week. Now, this chapter is a bit more saucy. I know my friend is going to be reading this and for the love of God, please don't judge me (anymore than you do already, haha).
> 
> Thanks everyone for reading, I hope you all have a fantastic week.
> 
> Lots of love
> 
> Elle x

The music seemed to be louder tonight. Harry’s heart was beating rapidly in his chest. Yes, he was nervous. Even under the protection of polyjuice, he had to be cautious. He had enough to get him through the evening, but only just. Seamus had made sure that the bottle he gave him was only enough for one night, no more. This did annoy Harry but at least he would be able to satisfy his own curiosity. 

When he was rather nervous, Harry would usually play with his hair, a tick that had come up since Auror training. It was a little hard to ruffle his hair as his now sandy brown hair was much shorter. Harry had asked Hermione to get a bit of hair from one of her co-workers at St. Mungos. With a little persuasion, mainly from Ron telling her that he will only do this once to get over the whole Malfoy fiasco, she managed to get some hair from one of her fellow medi wizards. 

The one Hermione has chosen, Ben, had short, sandy brown hair, light blue eyes, fair skin that was lighter than Harry’s and he was also taller than Harry. However, from Harry’s memory, not as tall as Malfoy. Height wasn’t an important factor but it definitely was convenient.

Harry, as Ben, entered the gay bar once again. There were bright flashing red and white lights and the dance floor was filled to the brim with men. Harry decided to dress up a little compared to his usual attire. He wore tighter dark jeans which hugged his legs in the right places, along with a fitted white t-shirt and a dragonhide jacket to top it off. It was still very vanilla compared to the rest of the bar’s choice of clothes but he did feel a bit more like he belonged here.

Not wanting to go looking for the man in question just yet, he went to the bar where he spotted Jack. Harry nearly went up to say hi but he wasn’t himself tonight. He was Ben. Ben had never come here, he didn’t know anyone. Harry just sat on one of the bar stools casually and waited for Jack to serve him.

A few minutes later, Jack came up to him.

“Hey. What will it be sir?” Jack asked Harry happily. Merlin, he must have really liked his job Harry thought.

“Whiskey please.” Harry imagined Ben to be polite when asking for something. He didn’t really know though, he’d never met the man.

“Coming right up.” Jack went away to grab one of the numerous whiskey bottles on the back shelf and filled up two fingers of whiskey. Sliding a few Muggle notes across the bar, Harry took his drink with a nod and left the bar to stand by the far wall, to be able to watch the dancers. To try and find the man he was looking for.

~~~~~

By his third drink, there was no glimpse of blond hair anywhere in the gay bar. Not getting a drink, not on the dance floor, nowhere. Perhaps Harry had missed his chance. Gloomily, he swallowed the rest of his drink. He was about to return his glass to Jack and then leave, when movement from the entrance caught his eye.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, Malfoy had arrived.

He looked very similar to when he was here the last time Harry was. A white button down with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, exposing his mark to the crowd and tight black leather trousers which emphasised his arse. Harry stared at him as he made his way to the bar, ordering some sort of complex drink to Jack and waited. He leaned forward on his pointy elbows, head resting in his right hand and a look of boredom on his face from where Harry was standing.

Malfoy’s drink appeared, he paid, drank up quickly then took to the dance floor. It looked like a routine that he had done that thousands of times. The beat of the next song started to pick up and Malfoy joined the wave of dancers.

Harry’s grip around his glass tightened as he watched Malfoy sway to and fro with the other men. It did seem to Harry very strange that Malfoy, any Malfoy could smile like that. The Malfoys that he knew kept their cool, collected masks on at all times, preventing even the tiniest slip of emotion. The Malfoy that he was watching had removed that mask. He was smiling widely, his eyes full of joy, the harsh lines of his face subsided with the smile only leaving a relaxed individual who was just having a good time.

Harry really wanted to join the crowd of dancers, specifically Malfoy, but he knew the moment he stepped onto the floor, he would embarrass himself tenfold. His dancing skills weren’t the greatest. Actually, that was putting it lightly. His dancing skills were disastrous! It was like his limbs flailed about as if they were disconnected from his body. The last time he was on a dance floor was at the Yule Ball in fourth year. He made a promise to himself to never get back on a dance floor until the day he died. 

However, it seemed like he would have to be on that floor sooner or later because Malfoy had spotted him staring at him during his dancing. It was like last time, except Malfoy didn’t have a partner. Harry tensed up as Malfoy, still smiling from the dancing, walked towards him.

“Don’t think I wouldn’t notice you staring at me.” Malfoy cheerfully said as he leaned in the wall next to Harry.

Harry didn’t know how to respond. He should have gotten another drink so he would have something to do. He looked at his glass many times before Malfoy got the hint. He waved at Jack, clicking his fingers at the same time.

“Jack! Over here please!” Malfoy spoke to Jack, gesturing towards Harry’s empty glass. Jack nodded with a smile and went on his way to get another glass of whiskey.

“What’s your name?” 

Harry hadn’t really thought this through. In the midst of his small panic, he just went with his polyjuice donor’s name.

“Ben. Yours?” Harry already knew the answer but he had to play his character off.

“Draco. Draco Malfoy”

“Draco? Unusual name.” Harry joked. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jack walking towards them with his much needed whiskey.

“Ha. You can blame my parents for that. Very traditional, liked to keep the family trait of naming their children after constellations.” Malfoy replied smoothly. He acknowledged Jack when he arrived, handing the drink to Harry.

“Thanks.” Harry reached into his jacket pocket to get his wallet.

“No mate.” Jack stopped him with the wave of his hand. “On the house.” He winked at Harry, nodded at Malfoy then walked back to the bar to serve some thirsty dancers.

“So, why have you come here tonight, Ben?” Malfoy asked, turning his body so he was facing Harry but still leaning against the wall. Harry gestured towards his drink, thinking that it was a perfectly valid answer to Malfoy’s question.

“No you haven’t. Even if you are gay, you could have gone to any bar to have a drink.” Malfoy leaned in closer but still far enough away so he wasn’t entering Harry's personal space. “What did you really come here for? To dance and have fun? To find someone?” Did Malfoy’s voice suddenly get huskier?

“I don’t really know. Not to find someone,” Harry lied, “and certainly not to dance. I’m awful at dancing.” That part was true. Harry drank deeply from his whiskey. He turned his head minutely to get a glance at Malfoy. He was staring at Harry’s throat as it worked on swallowing his drink down. Malfoy caught him looking and straightened up.

“You’re probably not that bad. Come on.” Malfoy took Harry’s glass and put on a nearby table, grabbed his hand albeit gently and dragged him onto the dance floor.

No, no, no, no, Harry’s mind was screaming at him. He wanted to let go of Malfoy’s hand but his limbs weren’t working. He held onto Malfoy tighter as they made their way to the middle of the floor. Some people moved out of the way, making space for Malfoy and his new partner. He does hold some power over these people, Harry thought.

The music’s beat was starting again and people were starting to move with the rhythm. That included Malfoy. He raised his hands into the air, just like everyone else and swayed his hips sensually to the music. It was quite arousing. Meanwhile, Harry stood there like a lemon having absolutely no fucking clue what to do. He tried to move his arms like everyone else was but that just made him feel very self conscious. What if he hit someone? He tried to move his feet and swayed a little bit before returning to basically a statue. His face said it all. He was not a dancer. Malfoy looked at Harry with pity and leaned in towards his ear so he could be heard. 

“So you really weren’t lying when you said you wouldn’t dance.” Malfoy laughed.

“I told you. I’m not a mover.”

“Ben, just turn around and just follow my lead” Malfoy stepped back and did a little swirly thing with his finger. 

Harry obliged and faced away from Malfoy. He didn’t know what he was doing but he had an idea of what Malfoy was going to do next.

And he did.

Malfoy pressed his chest against Harry’s back and his arms slid around Harry’s body. There was a sudden moment of tension in Harry’s body. No one had ever done this before, not even Ginny, his one and only past lover. It felt nice. It didn’t feel like a death grip. It didn’t feel like someone was trying to strangle him or kidnap him. It felt like someone was looking after him, making sure that he felt alright. Comfortable even. Harry relaxed into Malfoy’s arms, putting a bit more of his weight onto Malfoy’s shoulder. As soon as he felt him relax, Malfoy pressed his entire body behind Harry and started swaying from side to side. His hands had now moved to his waist with one hand stroking his side. Harry moved with him, his body starting to actually dance instead of move like a robot. The music kept a steady beat and Harry and Malfoy swayed in time. Then, Malfoy did something that Harry didn’t quite expect. His hips started moving upwards, against Harry’s. Oh my god, Harry thought. Harry didn’t want to tense up, especially at this point, he didn’t want to break character nor stop Malfoy because it felt really good. 

This went on until the next song, Malfoy still grinding from behind, moving his hands up and down Harry’s sides, Harry still leaning against his shoulder. He was starting to go to the point of no return. His trousers were getting tighter, his eyes were closing in pleasure. Even if it was Malfoy doing this, Harry was enjoying himself. Enjoying dancing. Now there’s a thought he never thought he’d make.

Harry now felt desire. He wanted, needed something more, more contact. Gracefully, he leaned his head further to the side, giving more exposure to his neck and shoulder. He did feel sort of on display for Malfoy but he didn’t care. Malfoy looked down and seemed to have got the message.

“Don’t worry. I’ve got you.” That was all Malfoy said in Harry's ear before he latched his lips onto Harry’s shoulder. It was everything. 

Harry silently moaned as he moved his head even further back and he started to take control of the movement downstairs. It was a weird, wet, warm sensation and Harry seemed to not get enough of it. Malfoy smiled against Harry’s skin and moved further upwards, his lips attaching to the sensitive part behind Harry’s ear which he didn’t know existed. Malfoy’s hands stopped moving up and down Harry’s sides and went in search of bare skin. Harry’s t-shirt wasn’t tucked into his trousers anymore so Malfoy casually slipped his hand underneath. Without looking, his long fingers outlined each one of the muscles that lay there. From when Harry looked in the mirror at Ben’s image before he headed out, Ben had some muscle there, not as much as Harry but he had a flat stomach and defined muscles. Harry moaned a little louder this time, also because Malfoy started to add biting and licking into the mix of things he was doing to Harry’s neck.

The music started to end and Malfoy removed his hand and mouth from Harry’s body, much to Harry’s dismay. Harry turned around to face Malfoy, who again grabbed his hand and led him back to the wall.

“See, you weren’t terrible at dancing.” Malfoy said, a smile starting to bloom across his face. His lips looked much redder from when he first came in and it seemed from Harry’s point of view, his trousers had gotten tighter as well. Harry blushed.

“Thank you. Draco,” that word was so difficult to fall from his lips, “I have to go now.” Harry knew what he wanted to do and had a pretty big hunch of what Malfoy wanted to do, but he didn’t want his own personal mission to be finished just yet. He wanted to find out more about Malfoy and sleeping with him, especially under polyjuice potion was a bad idea.

For a brief moment, a look of sadness fell over Malfoy’s face. But it was replaced quickly with a mask of contentment.

“Where do you need to be Ben?”

“The train station, just a few minutes up the road.” He had told Ron and Hermione that he would crash there again.

Malfoy slipped his arm into the crook of Harry’s elbow. “I’ll walk you there.”

~~~~~

The night air was very cool and much needed. It cooled down Harry’s skin that was still on fire after Malfoy had kissed it and touched it. It was windy however so he still felt hot. Especially when Malfoy was hanging off his arm. 

They walked in comfortable silence, both occasionally looking at the other when they weren’t looking. Harry could finally get a good look at the man he wanted to find this evening. Malfoy’s hair was longer, a little bit curled at the ends, his face was still pointy but it didn’t make him look like a skeleton, more regal. His eyes were still as grey as ever, shining so brightly the sun had competition. Harry had to admit, Malfoy was very handsome, beautiful. 

You really shouldn’t be thinking of your enemy as beautiful Harry, he thought.

But was Malfoy really his enemy anymore? That was another thought for another day.

When they reached the station, Harry turned around to look at Malfoy. 

“Thank you for this evening Draco.”

“You’re welcome Ben. Was that your first time there?”

No. “Yes, it was. Just trying something new.”

Malfoy huffed in amusement to that response. Now, the moment had come, leaving. It was like that awkward moment at the end of a date when nobody had a clue what to do. They both stared at each other, a look of longing in each other’s eyes. To Harry’s surprise, they leaned in at the same time. Harry had never kissed a man before but he didn’t think that it would be as gentle as this. Malfoy’s lips were soft, not chapped compared to Harry’s, well, Ben’s. It wasn’t rough, it was rather pleasant. Although it was only a chaste kiss, it still left tingles all over Harry’s body when Malfoy stepped back. His pupils had dilated, most likely the same as Harry’s.

“Will you be returning here, Ben?” Malfoy asked quietly, his tone somewhat hopeful.

“Yes. I’m not entirely sure when. But, soon.”

“Then, I’ll see you around.”

Harry blushed, nearly giggled like a little girl and started walking up the steps towards the station. Halfway up, he turned around to see if Malfoy was still there. He was. He was watching him go, a smile that showed his perfectly white, straight teeth on his face. Harry smiled back at him, almost goofy, before walking up to the top at entering the station.

After buying his ticket, he got on the correct train which miraculously just arrived and sat down. It was late at night and there were only a few people in his carriage. He was giddy. Harry lifted his fingers to his lips, the kiss still remaining there. As the train started moving out of the station, Harry thought to himself. He was in for a whirlwind of a ride.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello readers,
> 
> Sorry for not updating sooner. There has been a lot of work and I just haven't had the time. 
> 
> Anyways, enjoy. Kudos and comments are always appreciated!
> 
> Elle x

The moment that Harry walked into Ron and Hermione’s flat, he was attacked with a wild bush of hair.

“Harry!” Hermione practically screamed. It was the dead of night and usually Hermione would be very quiet and respect her neighbours' sleep, however that idea went completely out the window. 

“Hermione. Shhhhh” Ron groggily said, raising himself from the sofa. Both him and Hermione had pyjamas on, meaning they stayed up all night waiting for Harry. That thought touched Harry a little bit.

Hermione moved herself out of the doorway so Harry could enter. The polyjuice potion was starting to wear off. His hair was now in splotches, a mixture of sandy brown and raven coloured hair. His skin was starting to return to normal colour and he could feel himself shrinking very slowly as he walked. Not by much though. Harry closed the door behind him and found his way to the sofa. Flopping back, he laid his head on the back of the sofa, resting his slightly throbbing head from the alcohol. He hadn’t drunk enough to be wasted but he was definitely tipsy. Harry wanted to rest his eyes and go to sleep when he remembered his two eagle-eyed best friends staring at him in front of the sofa.

“So?” Ron left the question lingering.

Harry nodded slowly, “He was there.”

“And what happened?” Hermione came to sit next to him, Ron still standing. 

“Well, Jack was right about how he acts like he owns the place and that everyone does nearly everything for him.” Harry could see out of the corner of his eye Ron shuddering.

“But nobody did it because they had to or that it was Malfoy. They actually did it because they like him?” Harry was still trying to answer that question.

“A Malfoy? Nice? Never in a million years thought I would hear those two words together.” Ron joked while Hermione continued looking at Harry.

“Did you interact with him?” Hermione asked.

Harry suddenly felt very self-conscious of his neck area that was still exposed from earlier. He hadn’t bothered to cover it with his jacket or use a glamour on the very prominent mark that Malfoy had left there. Although Ben knew Malfoy as Draco, Harry couldn’t break old habits. Discreetly, Harry sunk lower into the sofa, subsequently the jacket rose to cover the mark.

“Yes,” Harry cleared his throat, “I did.”

“Did the polyjuice work alright?”

“If it didn’t Hermione, I wouldn’t be sitting on his sofa.” Harry raised is voice in annoyance of how stupid the question was but it was night and people above and below him were trying to get some sleep.

“No, he didn’t suspect a thing.”

Ron and Hermione turned towards each other and gave each other a look. Harry could quite make out what they were trying to communicate without words but Harry could tell it wasn’t in his favour. 

“Well, listen mate, at least it’s now out of your system. This whole Malfoy thing.” Ron spoke suddenly to Harry.

“The spare bedroom is still yours.” Hermione pointed down the corridor to the door opposite Ron and Hermione’s bedroom. She got up, placed a kiss on Harry’s forehead before heading over to Ron.

“Goodnight Harry.” Hermione said as she walked down the small corridor with Ron following her at the heel.

Harry released a breath he didn’t know he was holding. He returned to his original comfy position on the sofa and nearly closed his eyes until Ron came back into the living room.

“Also mate, just a heads up. Ginny floo called earlier asking if you can come and get your things from your old place.” Harry was about to interrupt Ron but Ron put his hand up. “Don’t worry Harry. You can stay with us until you can find your own place.” 

Ron tried to get rid of the tension by sticking his thumbs up in the air and trying to smile and laugh it off but Harry felt down. Real down. He had tried not to think about Ginny since they broke up. He wasn’t ready to go back to that apartment just yet. He didn’t want to see Ginny’s face just yet.

“Sorry to tell you that. But really, how long do you think you can last with just the outfit you wore when you came to us?” That was Hermione talking, Harry thought to himself.

Harry shrugged off Ron’s comment and stood up.

“Need to freshen up.” He said quietly, making his way to the bathroom, pretending he didn’t hear what Ron had just said.

“G’night.” Ron replied before returning to the open door of his bedroom before shutting it.

It was much colder in the bathroom than Harry expected but it was welcomed. The air cooled down his skin and briefly distracted him from the sharp, stabbing pain he felt in his chest.

Harry turned towards the mirror and ran the water. Staring at himself in the mirror, he looked more dishevelled than he thought he was. His hair, now completely black, was messy (messier than usual) from all the dancing and the hands. His cheeks had a slight flush from the cold (or most likely from the kiss with Malfoy but Harry wasn’t going to dwell on that) and his neck was properly bruised. 

Harry removed the jacket from his body, exposing his arms to the chill to get a better look at the mark. It was on his left side of his neck where it meets the shoulder. It was bright purple, everyone could tell that it was a hickey. Harry carefully rubbed his fingers against it expecting it to hurt or at least feel sore. It did a bit but nothing he couldn’t manage. Harry was a little bit mesmerised by the mark. In some sort of perverse way it was like Malfoy marked him like an animal, like he just put a big sign on top of Harry’s head that said “mine”. Harry didn’t know how to feel about that. 

The water nearly ran over the brim of the sink as Harry was released from his thoughts. Acting quickly, he turned the taps off and splashed his face with the cooling water. He did that a couple of times to freshen himself up. His headache was starting to go away and would fully disappear when he would wake the next morning. 

Taking a few deep breaths, he emptied the sink, grabbed a towel to wipe his face and left the bathroom to go to bed. 

After stripping down, the covers welcomed him into comfort. Harry didn’t realise how tired he was until his head touched down onto the pillow and he was taken away into the comforting darkness that was sleep.

~~~~~

Harry, Ron and Hermione were all waiting outside Harry’s old apartment door, waiting for Ginny to open it. They would have floo’d but at the moment in Harry’s eyes, flooing felt a bit impersonal, like he was suddenly invading Ginny’s space. Obviously, the apartment belonged to the both of them but Harry left abruptly, making it clear that he didn’t want to be in that apartment anymore. That wasn’t what Harry was thinking at the time though.

He tried to keep his mind blank as the door swung open and Ginny stood on the other side. She smiled warmly at everyone, including Harry. So maybe she had forgiven him, he didn’t know, but at least he wasn’t welcomed.

“Come on in. I hope you brought some boxes. I have a few but..”

“We have plenty, don’t worry Ginny.” Hermione interrupted her as she reached into her coat pockets and withdrew small, brown boxes then spelled them back to original size.

Harry wanted to stick to the walls of the apartment, away from everyone else. He wanted to get this over as quickly as possible.

“I’ll just get clothes from the bedroom.” Harry mumbled, gesturing for Ron to join him as he made his way to the bedroom, leaving the girls in the living area.

Harry wanted this to be over as quickly as possible so he got straight to work, rummaging through the drawers to find his clothes. Ron pulled out from his pockets a shrunken cardboard box which he then spelled back to normal and put it on the bed. Harry quickly passed him the clothes that he had gathered before opening the wardrobe to get some more. Ron could see Harry’s frantic pace from a mile away.

“Even if you finish getting your things quickly Harry, we still have to wait for Hermione and Ginny to finish.” Harry continued diving into the cupboard.

“So you can slow down mate. Also, I’m rubbish at folding clothes neatly anyway.” Ron joked to diffuse the tension. It helped.

Harry slowed down to a more productive pace and helped Ron with folding and putting the clothes away in the boxes that Ron had provided. A comfortable silence fell upon the two. It was nice. Harry didn’t feel like talking anyway. There was nothing to talk about. Actually there was. There was something really interesting to talk about. But Harry didn’t think that Ron would want to get into a conversation about a certain blonde.

Wait, why was Harry thinking of Malfoy at a time like this? He was in his old apartment, next to his best friend, in his old bedroom next to the room with his other best friend and his ex-girlfriend. Why would Malfoy suddenly pop into his head? Had Harry’s encounter really affected him so? He did want to go back to that bar to see him again, but only for his own personal investigation into what Malfoy was up to nowadays. NOT because he wanted to dance with him again.

Yeah right, a voice sarcastically spoke in the back of his head.

“Shhhh.” Harry whispered out loud.

“Who you talking to, mate?” Ron looked at him puzzled, surprised with the sudden sound.

“Nothing.” He quickly replied before returning to his folding of the last few items of clothing. In the silence, Ron and Harry had finished collecting Harry’s clothes and had them neatly (or at least to the boy’s standards) in the boxes. After grabbing the boxes, they went to exit the bedroom and into the living room where the girls were packing up the kitchen and living area. By the time they made it into the living area, both Hermione and Ginny were giggling. This made both boys rather concerned.

“What?” Ron asked defensively, putting the boxes that he was carrying onto the kitchen island. Hermione scrunched up her face as much as she could to stop her from laughing and Ginny turned away and covered her mouth with her hand.

“What is it?” Ron asked again.

Hermione and Ginny took just one look at each other before bursting with laughter. From looking around, Harry could tell that they hadn’t done much packing. There was still bits and bobs of Harry’s that were left un-wrapped in boxes or left on the shelves and Ginny was holding a rather large book. It looked like a photo book.

Oh no.

“Ginny, you didn’t.” They were the first words that Harry had spoken directly to Ginny since breaking up. 

Ginny only nodded while Hermione went to go whisper something in Ron’s ear. Upon hearing what Hermione told him, Ron ran to Ginny to look through the photo book before promptly laughing as well. So there he was, Harry, in his old apartment, holding two boxes stacked on top of one another, staring accusingly at his so called “friends” laughing their asses off from looking at most likely the most embarrassing or jarring pictures of Harry. 

There was a part of him that wanted to go and see which picture they were looking at. Whether it was that time he and Ginny went to Paris on holiday and Ginny brought with her a stereotypical French person costume and forced Harry to go out in it (those memories shall never be re-lived), or whether it was the permanent marker drawings that Seamus drew on his face while he was asleep. But the other part of him was screaming to just get this done and over with.

“Haha, very funny. Hermione? Ron? Can we please finish up?” Harry stared at the three of them sitting in front of the fireplace, having no idea that Harry was addressing them.

Harry then decided that they were going to be a while. He would be the productive one and finish packing while they enjoyed Harry’s embarrassment and misery. 

Discreetly, he made his way to the door and started walking down the corridor to the stairs. The apartment building did have a lift and it would have been easier for Harry but he wanted some time to himself and didn’t need anyone else in the lift with him.

Making his way slowly down the stairs, his thoughts started to wander to last night. He remembered the way Malfoy held him as they danced together, remembered the way Malfoy spoke to him with no facade or mask and how he looked. Free. Enjoying himself. Harry remembered the way Malfoy’s lips attached to his neck and how those lips kissed him softly at the end of the night when Malfoy walked him to the train station. Harry, well Ben, promised that he would return and see him again. And Harry wanted to, not because of his nosy investigation but rather he actually wanted to go. He wanted to see Malfoy again. Wanted to dance with him and be held by him again. His mind started providing pictures of how his night could end if all went well but Harry shook those thoughts away.

Harry made it to the bottom of the stairs feeling a little bit tighter in his trousers and his arms aching from all the boxes. He probably should have taken the lift. He walked outside to Ron and Hermione’s car (Hermione had bought one when she finished training at St. Mungos, Ron was quite wary at first). He put the boxes into the open boot of the car and stood up, stretching his back and arms. 

He needed to go back to the bar to see Malfoy but he couldn’t ask Hermione to get some of Ben’s hair again without being questioned nor could he ask Seamus for more polyjuice potion. Just before heading back to the crazy lunatics who still probably hadn’t started packing, Harry had a plan. A devious one at that but, what could he do.

He just needed to fish out his father’s old invisibility cloak.


End file.
